Overview
- Public opposition has surged, with polls showing majorities in multiple states oppose nearby data centers and a national voter survey finding most people want local governments to limit projects that strain electricity or water.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a binding executive order on Aug. 18 that imposes transparency requirements, reporting of energy and water use, and removes fast‑track permits for data centers in Pennsylvania.
- States and counties have moved from voluntary guidelines to moratoria, audits and municipal limits, including New York’s statewide pause and Allegheny County considering a ban on building data centers on county property.
- The EPA has proposed narrowing federal public‑notice requirements for some air permits, a change critics say would reduce community input just as local resistance and candidate rhetoric make the issue politically charged.
- Investors and utilities warn that permitting delays, years‑long grid interconnection timelines and demands for developer‑funded upgrades could delay or cancel nearly half of planned projects and shift where AI capacity is built.